What is a majority government?

The governing party holds more than half the seats

Two parties share power equally

The governing party won a majority of the provinces

The Senate supports the government

In a federal election, which candidate becomes the MP for an electoral district?

The one who receives the most votes

The one chosen by the party leader

The oldest candidate on the ballot

The one with more than 75% of votes

Who is eligible to vote in a federal election?

Canadian citizens at least 18 on election day, registered or registering to vote

Permanent residents aged 18 or older

Citizenship Test overview

Citizenship Test: Federal elections and voting

When federal elections are held, electoral districts and candidates, who may vote, the voters' list and voter information card, the secret ballot, majority and minority government, the Cabinet and opposition, voting procedures and municipal government.

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Federal elections and voting · Question 1Score 0/0

What are laws passed by municipal councils called?

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Study reference: Discover Canada (IRCC online edition, 2026), Ch. 6 Federal Elections — Voting, Secret ballot, After an election, Voting procedures, Other levels of government

All 29 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

What are laws passed by municipal councils called?
1. By-laws
2. Statutes of Parliament
3. Acts
4. Orders in council
Which of these is usually a municipal responsibility?
1. Currency
2. Foreign policy
3. Citizenship
4. Snow removal
What is a majority government?
1. Two parties share power equally
2. The governing party won a majority of the provinces
3. The governing party holds more than half the seats
4. The Senate supports the government
In a federal election, which candidate becomes the MP for an electoral district?
1. The one chosen by the party leader
2. The oldest candidate on the ballot
3. The one who receives the most votes
4. The one with more than 75% of votes
Who is eligible to vote in a federal election?
1. Citizens aged 16 or older
2. Canadian citizens at least 18 on election day, registered or registering to vote
3. All residents who pay taxes
4. Permanent residents aged 18 or older
Your employer asks how you voted. Do you have to tell them?
1. Yes, if they paid for your day off
2. No, your vote is secret
3. Yes, employers have that right
4. Only if you work for the government
What is a minority government?
1. A government without a Cabinet
2. The governing party does not hold a majority of seats
3. A government appointed by the courts
4. A government led by a party representing a minority group
You cannot vote on election day. What options does the guide describe?
1. Send your choice to your MP
2. Vote by phone the day after
3. An advance poll or a special ballot
4. Ask a friend to vote for you
After an election, who is usually invited to form the government?
1. The person chosen by the Senate
2. The leader of the oldest party
3. The leader of the party with the most seats
4. The candidate with the most votes nationally
What is the National Register of Electors?
1. A register of political party members
2. A permanent database of citizens qualified to vote
3. A record of how each person voted
4. A list of all candidates in an election
The Ontario Provincial Police and Sûreté du Québec are the provincial police services of which two provinces?
1. Ontario and Quebec
2. Alberta and British Columbia
3. Manitoba and Saskatchewan
4. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
Under the federal fixed-date rule, subject to an earlier election, when is the next general election scheduled?
1. Every November 11 in an even year
2. The first Monday in July every five years
3. Whenever the Senate decides
4. The third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year after the previous election
Which party is the Official Opposition?
1. The opposition party with the most MPs
2. The party with the most senators
3. The party that came last in the election
4. The party chosen by the Governor General
What is another name for an electoral district?
1. A county or parish
2. A riding or constituency
3. A municipality or ward
4. A province or territory
What does the voter information card tell you?
1. When and where you vote
2. How your neighbours voted
3. Which candidate to vote for
4. The results of the last election
Who may ask the Governor General to call an election earlier than the fixed date?
1. The Chief Electoral Officer
2. The Leader of the Opposition
3. The Prime Minister
4. Any group of ten MPs
You did not receive a voter information card. Can you still vote?
1. Only by mail from another country
2. No, you must register and wait until the next federal election
3. Only if you apply six months in advance
4. Yes, you can be added to the list, even on election day
After you mark and fold your ballot, what does the poll official do?
1. Opens it to check it is valid
2. Reads your choice aloud
3. Tears off the ballot number and returns it to you
4. Keeps it in a sealed envelope until the polls close
How are Members of Parliament chosen?
1. Elected by voters in their electoral district
2. Chosen by the provincial premiers from party lists
3. Appointed by the Prime Minister
4. Appointed by the Governor General
Who has major responsibilities on First Nations reserves, such as housing and schools?
1. Senators
2. Band chiefs and councillors
3. Lieutenant Governors
4. Territorial Commissioners
If a majority of MPs vote against the government on a matter of confidence, such as the budget, what usually happens?
1. The government continues until its term ends
2. The Senate chooses a new Prime Minister
3. The budget is sent to the Supreme Court
4. The PM asks the Governor General to call an election
What is the role of opposition parties?
1. To approve every government bill
2. To peacefully oppose or improve government proposals
3. To run government departments
4. To appoint the Cabinet ministers who run each department
Who makes up the Cabinet?
1. The senators and judges
2. All members of the House of Commons
3. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers
4. The premiers of the provinces
What should an elector prepare before going to vote in person at a federal election?
1. A passport and a letter from an MP
2. An accepted way to prove identity and address; bring the voter card if available
3. A citizenship test result only
4. Only a tax return and a utility bill
Which basic citizenship and age requirements apply to an otherwise eligible federal election candidate?
1. Anyone who has lived in Canada for 5 years
2. Only members of a political party
3. Canadian citizens 18 years old or older
4. Permanent residents over 21
What does the right to a secret ballot mean?
1. Ballots are never counted in public
2. You must not discuss politics at all
3. Only candidates can see the results
4. Your choice is private and no one may require you to disclose it
How do you mark your ballot in a federal election?
1. Sign your name beside the party
2. Write the candidate's full name on the line provided
3. Circle the candidate's photo
4. Put an X in the circle next to your candidate
Which neutral agency of Parliament produces the voters' lists for federal elections?
1. Statistics Canada
2. Elections Canada
3. The Senate
4. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Who usually sits on a municipal council?
1. The Premier and Cabinet ministers
2. The Lieutenant Governor and provincial court judges
3. MPs and senators
4. A mayor or reeve, and councillors or aldermen

Federal elections and voting: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

introduction

Canadians elect members of the House of Commons (members of Parliament, MPs); voters may re-elect the same members or choose new ones.
The fixed-date rule is the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year after the previous general election. Earlier dissolution and elections remain possible; this is not a guarantee of exactly four years between polling days.
Canada is divided into electoral districts, also called ridings or constituencies; each elects one MP.
An otherwise eligible candidate must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 on polling day. Nomination procedures and statutory disqualifications also apply; meeting age and citizenship requirements alone does not complete a nomination.

Voting

You must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 on election day. Register before voting, including at the polling station if needed, and satisfy Elections Canada’s identity and address requirements. Not already being on a list does not by itself prevent you from voting.
Voters' lists come from the National Register of Electors, kept by Elections Canada, a neutral agency of Parliament; a permanent database of citizens 18+ qualified to vote.
After an election is called, Elections Canada mails a voter information card to each elector in the Register: when and where to vote, number to call for an interpreter or special services.
Even if not in the Register or no card received, you can be added to the voters' list at any time, including election day.

Secret ballot

Your ballot choice is private, and nobody may require you to reveal it. You can choose to discuss your vote. Authorized assistance is available for electors who need help marking a ballot.
After polls close, election officers count the ballots and results are announced on radio, TV and in newspapers.

After an election

The leader of the party with the most seats ordinarily forms the government, but the governing principle is the ability to command the confidence of the House. Having the most seats is not an automatic legal entitlement to govern in every minority situation.
A majority government’s party holds more than half the seats in the House of Commons. Exactly half is not a majority.
A confidence defeat commonly leads to a request for dissolution and an election. Resignation and another government able to command confidence can also be possible; an immediate election is not the only constitutional outcome.
The PM chooses ministers of the Crown, mostly from the House of Commons; ministers run federal departments. PM + ministers = the Cabinet: prepare the budget, propose most new laws; decisions can be questioned by all MPs.
Parties not in power = opposition parties; the one with the most MPs = the Official Opposition (the Loyal Opposition). Role: peacefully oppose or try to improve government proposals.

Voting procedures during an election period

Meet one of Elections Canada’s accepted identity-and-address options. Bring your voter information card if you have it to make the process easier, but the card is not mandatory. An eligible elector without ID documents can use the prescribed declaration and vouching procedure.

Other levels of government

Municipal councils pass "by-laws" affecting only the local community; council = mayor (or reeve) and councillors or aldermen.
Municipal responsibilities: urban/regional planning, streets and roads, sanitation (garbage), snow removal, firefighting, ambulance and emergency services, recreation, public transit, some local health and social services. Most major cities have municipal police.
Provincial, territorial and municipal elections also use secret ballots but rules differ from federal elections.
Table: federal = national defence, foreign policy, citizenship, policing, criminal justice, international trade, Aboriginal affairs; shared = immigration, agriculture, environment. Provincial = education, health care, natural resources, highways, policing (Ontario, Quebec), property and civil rights. Municipal = social and community health, recycling, transportation and utilities, snow removal, policing, firefighting, emergency services.
First Nations have band chiefs and councillors with major responsibilities on reserves (housing, schools, other services).

Study the Federal elections and voting rules as flashcards →